War of Words

Hemingway felt relieved simply by the fact that Gregory had returned alive. However, since Gregory had touched Hemingway's nerves this time, Gregory could not avoid Hemingway's questions.

Gregory composed himself with a dignified expression and spoke.

"There was a valid reason."

Hemingway retorted as if he had been waiting for Gregory's answer all along. He openly showed his displeasure, expressing his anger.

"No matter how much justification you had, you acted arbitrarily? Don't you realize that disobeying orders is outright insubordination?"

He furrowed his brow even more fiercely and stared at Gregory. He clearly thought that if Gregory had acted with the Dawn knight order members, things could have been solved easily.

Furthermore, the fact that Gregory had attempted this dangerous task without even consulting him, despite special warnings, made Hemingway feel all the more affronted. He reproached Gregory as if his voice would shake the entire audience hall.

"Answer me! Wasn't it something you could've died from if something went wrong?!"

Gregory felt he had nowhere to retreat; he swallowed nervously at Hemingway's cold attitude.

'Now is the time to lower my tail.'

If he could not explain himself here, Hemingway, who had overlooked many of his actions so far, would not hold back, and since only he could take responsibility for what he had done, he determined that severe punishment was inevitable.

"I am sorry."

Hemingway sighed and waved his hand dismissively.

"Hah... Enough. I am not scolding you to extract an apology. I want to know why you did it."

He debated whether to cover up this incident or make it public. However, at the very least, he thought he should ask Gregory what he had in mind and what circumstances he had been in.

Gregory was not a child who would defy his father's orders without thought.

He firmly believed that there must be a reason.

'What on earth are you scheming, Gregory?'

On the other hand, Gregory thought that he could not afford to be removed from the knight order if their combat effectiveness was to be enhanced. Thus, he mixed some lies with the events to avoid severe punishment and decided to appear obedient.

As for the details of those lies, he thought that if he informed Radian and his family later and had their stories aligned, it would not become a huge issue.

With everyone having returned alive, he believed this was the best and most favorable way to move past the situation.

No, this was certainly a makeshift expedient. Therefore, in these urgent circumstances, he needed to find a way to persuade Hemingway.

"I could not come to an agreement with the Dawn knight order members."

"So what of it?"

"This matter could also decide the dignity and future of the kingdom. While the discussion was ongoing, I received a letter from Radian."

Impatient, Hemingway immediately responded as if to encourage Gregory to continue.

"Yes, what was in that letter?"

Hemingway fixed his gaze firmly on Gregory, ready to call the guards straight away if Gregory failed to persuade him.

He needed a practical reason, not cheap emotional appeals.

Gregory was not confident that such a makeshift excuse would get past the principle-driven Hemingway, but he decided to give his best effort to persuade Hemingway and thus spoke confidently.

"It was a letter saying they felt like someone was pursuing them. So, I thought that if they were caught, it would be me next, and judged that there was no time for discussion."

Hemingway hesitated for a moment, then quickly collected his thoughts.

"So you're saying you didn't even have time to consult your father. Don't you know what far-reaching consequences your actions might have? It could have sparked a war!"

Hemingway's judgment was clouded by his heated emotions, leaving him full of openings.

He could hardly be blamed; with his own son infiltrating a foreign country so suddenly and the impending possibility of an explosive war, his mind wavered between impressions of a ticking time bomb and apprehension.

Gregory looked clearly at Hemingway. Soon, his gaze sharpened and his demeanor radiated as if it might pierce the sky.

"It was a double-edged sword. Had we missed the timing or if our backing had been exposed, they could have used it as a pretext and war would have broken out. Even if I went alone and was discovered while scheming, the outcome would have been the same—a war."

Gregory, as if venting all the pent-up frustration at once, added,

"In the end, everyone returned alive and safely... By my standards, I did my utmost. I am sorry, but could you please forgive me?"

Hemingway looked at Gregory, dumbfounded. He realized for the first time that Gregory had this side to him, and he became aware of how agitated he felt.

"Ahem..."

Gregory bowed respectfully, lowering his head. Now it was up to Hemingway to decide.

Hemingway took a deep breath, thinking as carefully as possible in order to make the right decision.

'Gregory is showing remarkable growth. At this rate, he'll achieve great merit and become a hero in the war.'

Originally, Hemingway had been considering whether or not to spare Gregory from punishment.

Hemingway asked Gregory, who was bowing his head.

"Wait, you said you received a letter from Radian? Yes... I recall that the report you offered me for investigation also had information about Radian."

Gregory stiffened as if he had been caught off guard. After all, Hemingway, as the head of House Ashborn, knew better than anyone that Gregory had rarely left the house or attended noble events during his youth.

Thus, the claim that Gregory had been in secret contact with Radian was insufficiently explained.

Anticipating that Hemingway would question him again, Gregory hurriedly came up with an excuse and blurted it out.

Just as he expected, Hemingway gazed at him with a sharp look and his lips trembled slightly.

"You're hiding something, aren't you...?"

Lies continue as long as the truth cannot be verified. Such acts become frequent, piling up until one eventually forgets them.

In order not to provoke Hemingway, Gregory spoke as calmly and honestly as possible.

"No. Do you remember when I returned from the martial arts tournament last time?"

Hemingway looked at Gregory slowly.

No matter how principled one is, anxious thoughts breed suspicion and eventually, anyone breaks down. Even someone who appears perfect—one or the other, body or mind, eventually falters. Hemingway was no exception.

Hemingway was convinced there was something he was missing. In order to understand Gregory, he thought about what he himself would have done in Gregory's place.

As he combed through his memories, he realized what had led things to turn out this way.

"Of course I remember."

"In fact, after overwhelmingly winning first place in the tournament, I had a private audience with Radian."

Gregory continued.

"At that time, Radian asked me to protect his family from forces hostile to him. He said if he would postpone the war, in return I should save him and his family."

A moment of silence passed, then as Gregory was about to speak again, Hemingway interjected.

Hemingway paused and then broke into a faint smile. It seemed as though he understood what Gregory was trying to say.

It was the clue that solved all the unresolved questions that had remained until now. Why would the chief war commander of the enemy nation trust Gregory?

After all, if the forces threatening the war commander were large enough, fleeing to the enemy nation might indeed seem like the only way to survive.

Hemingway gazed into empty space, sighing.

"Now I finally understand a bit. So, are you saying that I was mistaken in believing that just winning the martial arts tournament could postpone the war?"

To answer Hemingway's question, Gregory closed his eyes and then slowly nodded.

"So the reason you could not come to an agreement with the Dawn knight order was because your comrades could not possibly have known this fact. The letter likely contained a request for urgent assistance."

Gregory, having resolved no longer to lie, added nothing more.

At this, Hemingway was filled with guilt over having failed to trust Gregory enough.

As the commander of the entire kingdom's knight order, he should have trusted him all the more. Covering his face with his hand at his own rashness, Hemingway sighed once again.

"It's all my fault... For not asking what happened at the tournament, for forcing you to travel with the Dawn knight order without knowing any of the circumstances..."

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